News

Toyo Tire has renewed its support for Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body, (TLC) as they attempt to win their 11th consecutive Dakar Rallye in January 2024 and will supply its Open Country M/TR to the team’s Toyota land Cruiser 300 GR Sport.

Open Country M/TR is the race version of the M/T series of off road tires for 4x4s and pickups offering mobility in extreme conditions.

The Dakar Rallye, held since 1979, is one of the world's toughest off-road endurance rally competitions. Participants spend two weeks driving at speed, navigating an unseen off-road course in a harsh desert environment. Competitors experience varying weather and surface conditions, from cold mountain regions to scorching deserts.

The race comprises 13 special stages (race sections) of approximately 5,000 km challenging competitors to find waypoints as well as tackle the tough terrain.

Toyota Auto Body aims to build an even stronger car by testing vehicles under these extreme conditions . The race specification Land Cruiser, which the company is responsible for developing and producing, will again be participating in the Dakar Rallye. With 10 consecutive wins in the production vehicle category TLC have made history.

Toyo Tires have been providing tire support to TLC since 2021 and are tuning the Open Country M/TR for participation in the Dakar Rallye, leveraging the off-road rally technology and experience cultivated together. The tires being supplied this time offer even better off road performance on rough surfaces, improved durability and wear resistance. The tires were also developed to reduce environmental impact through new sustainable materials and increasing the blending ratio.

OPEN COUNTRY M/TR (Specs for Dakar Rally 2024)

This product updates the 2003 Spec Open Country M/TR developed to be compatible with the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport, the vehicle that TLC will enter in Dakar Rally 2024. It is designed to improve durability and reduce weight. In order to pursue performance on rough surfaces such as rocky areas and deserts. With an improved structure and shallower grooves, the tire boasts greater resistance to puncture resistance through increasing rigidity. Additionally, acceleration is improved through weight reduction.
In line with Toyo Tires policy of "realising sustainable mobility", 50% of the total weight of the tire is made from sustainable materials. In addition to using butadiene rubber and styrene-butadiene rubber derived from biomass and recycled bead wire, as with conventional products, new specifications for the Dakar Rally 2024 include rice husk ash silica, recycled carbon black, vegetable-derived oil, and bio-derived polyester fiber.